Fence-machine



(No Model.) 2 sheets-shee 1A E. HUGHES 8v B. E. WILLIAMS. FENCE MACHINE.

No. 406,912. Patented July 16, 1889.

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E. HUGHES 8u B. E. WILLIAMS. FENCE MAGEINE. No. 406,912. Patented July 16, 1889.

FIG-1I..

L FSIIIII- f T' R E IE N PETERS, Pbdln-Lbopaphsr. Washington. D4 C.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND HUGHES AND BENJAMIN F. XVILLIAMS, 0F COOKPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,912, dated July 16, 1889.

Application tiled May 20, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDMUND HUGHES and ENJAMIN F. WILLIAMs, both citizens of the United States, residing at Cookport, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvcm ents in Fence-Machines; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and VIigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to machines for con structing wire and wood felices, especially those that build the fence in the field along the line it is to occupy when completed.

The novel features are hereinafter dcscribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the machine with the driving-chain removed. Fig. is a longitudinal section of one of the twisters. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the tension device or clamp, certain parts removed. Fig. t is an elevation of the twister-frame. Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the twisters on an enlarged scale. Fig. (3 is a plan of the spacer; Fig. 7, a plan, partly in section, of the adj ustablepicket guide and holder; and Fig. 8 is a detail of the tension device.

The same reference-letters are used in all the figures.

The trame of the machine consists of a plank A, having an arm or bracket A', proj ecting from one side. The frame is supported by a wheel l, arranged with its axis transverse of the fence, so that the machine can be easily moved back and forth along the line of the tence. At the top of the frame is attached a fixed gage or stop C, to insure the tops of the pickets being all on the same line. At the bottom of the frame, under the stop C, is a hinged foot-rest D. A spring d is connected with the rest in any convenient manner, and tends to lift it, so that a picket Serial No. 311.366. (No model.)

placed thereon will be forced up against the stop G.

ln the frame A are a number of holes, in each of which is inserted a sleeve E, provided with flanges through which screws may be passed to secure it to the frame. In the sleeve revolves the tubular shank of the twister F, which is formed with or attached to asprocketwheel f. In the face of the twister is a circular recess f', through the bottom of which are eut two or more curved slots f2, eccentrically but symmetrically arranged with reference to the axis of the'twister. The inner end of each slot is enlarged, as shown, to permit knots and splices in the fence-wire to pass through.

The recess j' is filled by a disk G, the outer face of which is preferably 'Hush with the face ofthe sprocket-wheel f. In the disk are formed two curved -slots g, similar to those in the twister, but turned in thc opposite direction, so as to cross them. The disk G is held in place by a bolt ll, which passes through the center of the disk and twister, and through the center of a cross-bar I, placed against the rear end of the tubular shank and overlapping the end of the sleeve E, as shown in Fig. 2, Wherehy the twister is held in place in the sleeve. Upon loosening the bolt the disk G can bc turned in its recess until the enlarged inner ends of the slots g coincide with the similar ends of the slots f2 in the twister. The fencewires X can then be passed through, having been previously attached to the fence-post Y. 'ly then rotating the disk on the bolt Il the points ojt intersection of the slots f2 and g will be carried toward the ends of said slots until the wires are separated enough to allow a picket to bercadily put down through them. The disk can then be clamped in place by tightening the bolt ll. In this Way the space between the wires can be adjusted with great nicety to suit various thicknesses of pickets Z.

The twisters are all rotated simultaneously and to a similar extent by means of an end* less chain K, passing around them in a zigzag line, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to rotate made in two pieces having serrated surfaces,

them alternately in opposite directions. The chain is driven by a sprocket K', mounted on the arm A', and provided with a crank-handle 7c. The bearing of the sprocket is adj ustable on the arm, in order to take up slack in the chain.

From one face of the frame A project two or more guides and holders L, preferably clamped .together by a thumb-screw l, in order to be adjustable as to length. The end of the holder is forked to engage the edge of the picket. the pickets up into the fork between the wires by means of spacers M, preferably two in number, which consist of rods provided with a hook m at the end and an adjustable abutment m', adapted to engage with the edges of a picket already secured in place, as shown. Each rod preferably passes through a slot a in the frame A, and is connected to one arm of a bell-crank lever N. The other arm of each lever N is hinged to a rod O, which has a stirrup o conveniently near the ground. A spring n holds up thestirrup and keeps the spacers normally thrust out through the frame A. YV hen a picket has been passed down between the wires and stands on the rest D, the hooks m are engaged with the edge of a picket Z and the foot of the operator placed in the stirrup o. A downward pressure thereon pulls the spacers M back through the slots a, thereby dragging the machine up toward the finished portion of the fence and forcing the newly-inserted picket well into the fork between the fence-wires. The twisters al'e then rotated to secure the picket in place.

It will be noticed that the twisting force is applied to the wires in the plane of the sprockets f and drive-chains K, whereby the least strain is exerted on thetwisters and their friction in the sleeves E is reduced to a minimum. Vhen the twisting has been completed,

the stirrup is released, and the springs n raise. lthe levers N, imparting a thrust to the rods M and causing the abutment m' to strike the edge of the picket Z, and thereby force the machine away from the picket last inserted. The extent of this movement may be regulated by the position of the abut-ment m' on the rods M.

The tension device is supported on a post P, preferably sharpened at --its foot, sc as to be readily driven into the ground. Itisstayed by suitable guys Q. Holes p are bored through it for the passage of the fence-wires. On the back of the post is fastened the clamping device, consisting of a bed R, having a concave longitudinal groove or depression r. A plate R', having a convex surface r', fits the groove in t-he bed. Suitable bolts S project from the bed through the plate R', and are provided with nuts s,whereby the plate can be clamped upon the bed or upon the wires X passed be- The holders are caused to crowd tween them. At one side of the bed are formed holes for prongs r2, which are arranged in pairs, one pair opposite each hole p. The wire X is led between the bed R and the plate R' and between the prongs r2, which hold it transversely of Vthe bed R 'and prevent the weight of the wire beyond, whether coiled up or not, from dragging it out of place.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.-

l. The combination, with the frame A, of

`v'the`rods M, having hooks fm 'and abutments m', elbow-levers N, fulcrumed on the frame and connected with the rods M, and a stirruprod O, connected with the levers, substantially as described. 2. The combination, with' the frame A, of the rods M, having hooks m and adjustable abutments m', elbow-levers N, connected with the rods M, springs lrt, for retracting the levers, and means for simultaneously actuating the levers against the tension of the springs, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the spacers M and means for moving them, of the forked picket-holder L, composed of two pieces hav- .ing serrated surfaces clamped together by a `thumb-screw l., substantially as described.

4I. The combination, with the lframe of a fence-machine, of a twister having a slot for the fence-wire, and an adjustable piece covering said slot andhaving itself a slot arranged to cross the slot in the twister and adapted to change the point of intersection `when adj usted to different positions, substantially as described.

5. A twister for a fence-machine, provided with two curved symmetrically-arranged ec- ;centric slots, and an adjustable plate lcovering lsaid slots and provided itself with two simi- .lar slots turned in opposite directions to vthose in the twister, substantially as described.

G. The combination, with the twister F, having a tubular shank, a sprocket-wheel f, recess f', and the curved slots f2, having enlarged ends, of the disk G, seated in said re- .cess and having the oppositely-curved slots g, and means for adjustably securing the disk in the recess, substantially as described.

'7. The combination, with the frame A, of the sleeve E, the twister F, having a tubular shank inserted through the sleeve and provided with slots f2, the adjustable slotted disk G, covering the slots f2, the cross-bar I, placed against the end of the shank, and the bolt H, passing through the disk, twister, and cross-bar, substantially as described.

8. A tension device for fence-machines,consisting of the post P, having the bed R, extending from its top to near its bottom and provided with the concave groove r, the plate R', having a convex surface fr', matching the groove r for substantially its whole length, and the bolts S, Jrovided with nuts s, whereby IOO IIO'

the several wires of a fence can be clamped In testimony whereof We oursignatures at one and the same time, substantially as in presence of JWo Witnesses. described.

9. A tension device for fence-machines, con- TXSQIES' sisting of the bed R, having the concave L J M groove 0' and suitable holes, the plate R', hav- Titnessesz ing a convex surface fl" and the prongs 012, the H. E. RUFFNER,

bolts S, :md nuts s, substantially as described. D. HARTMAN. 

